Every once in a while in life and in society a few good men come along. You probably never heard of this one and if you did he was largely below the radar. His name was John O' Driscoll and he was Assistant Commissioner of the Gardai with specific responsibility for Special Crime Operations. He died suddenly at 64 years of age last week just 15 months after he retired from the force. I didn't know John and never met him personally. But I know what he did and for the last six years of his time as a Garda he spent every minute of every day putting the Kinahan Crime Cartel out of business in this country and abroad.
He travelled the world gathering information, hunting down the leaders of the gang Christy Snr, Christy Jnr and Daniel Kinahan until he had them cornered like rats with literally nowhere else to go in Dubai. But more than that he was responsible for effectively dismantling the whole Kinahan crime operation in Ireland with between 20 to 30 of its members now languishing behind bars. John, like the Government, knew how much of a threat the Kinahans were to the whole fabric of this country and made it his personal mission to put them out of business as much as he could.
He forged relationships with the police in Dubai, he persuaded the Americans to get involved resulting in a 15 million bounty being put in place for any information leading to the arrest of the Kinahan father and his sons plus other leaders of the drugs empire. But he also ensured that international arrest warrants were issued for them making it increasingly more difficult for the Kinahans to move around the world. The Kinahans hated him with a vengeance but he quietly and diligently went about his business making our streets far safer than what went before.
The number of gangland killings compared to previous years are way down. Hundreds of guns have been taken off the streets. Since 2019 over 330 million worth of cocaine and other drugs have been seized in this country and large amounts of assets have been seized from the drug lords by the Criminal Assets Bureau on behalf of the state. A large part of this success was down to the single minded determination of the brave Assistant Commissioner. John O' Driscoll was 41 years in the Gardai. He was of the old school who did his homework before he pounced. Very few criminals he went after escaped his clutches and they were always guilty.
He was one of the great Gardai of our time along with the recently retired Chief Supt Christy Managan who solved more murders and serious crime in Ireland along with bringing to an end the long running Drogheda drugs feud which left four people dead. We are far too quick in this county to slag off the Gardai. But the very vast majority of them are decent men like John O'Driscoll and Christy Mangan who want to serve their country without fear and do their best for the public at large.
Yes of course there are a few bad apples but they in fairness are few and far between. All the great Gardai had great compassion and both O' Driscoll and Mangan were cut from the same cloth. Their fellow officers and members loved working with them because they led from the front, were as honest as the day was long and didn't suffer fools gladly. They were serious about their business of catching dangerous criminals and making our streets safe.
John O'Driscoll was taken from us far too young. He didn't get a chance to enjoy his retirement. He had spent the past year writing a new book on his life in the Garda called On Duty; Reflections Of A Life in the Guards. It was scheduled to be released at the end of October and hopefully it will still be published. The observations and views of a great man like John O'Driscoll are well worth reading and considering. The public tributes he received were fully deserved.
Tributes Pour in from across the Globe
The Taoiseach Simon Harris said; " John was a distinguished member of An Garda Siochana who served the force with such integrity. He was a very respected member of the Garda family and a true leader. I know the entire Garda family will be mourning his loss." The Justice Minister Helen McEntee said; " He served the State with integrity and distinction and was a man who was completely dedicated to public service. He mentored scores of Gardai throughout his career, built strong teams and played a leading role in devising and implementing the garda's international partnerships to tackle organised crime groups." The Government wouldn't let John retire at 60 and asked him to serve two more years such was the importance of his work. And on the night he retired and his last day as a cop he did not leave his office until a quarter to midnight, such was his commitment.
The Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said; " In recent years he was in the forefront in garda successes against Organised Crime and he helped save lives and protect communities from the scourge of drugs." I extend my deepest sympathy to John O' Driscoll's family and thank them for his service. Ireland could do with a few more good men just like him. Both the Government and the Gardai must now make sure that the three Kinahan family bosses are brought home and tried for their crimes.
Beyond the Kinahan Cartel: A Legacy of Leadership
Ireland’s prime minister has led tributes on the sudden death of the exceptional detective who led international police operations against the Kinahan organized crime cartel. Taoiseach (PM) Simon Harris, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and Minister for Justice Helen McEntee were among those who paid tribute to retired Assistant Commissioner John O’Driscoll, who died Friday at the age of 64.
John was a police officer for 41 years, including Assistant Commissioner for Special Crime Operations from 2016 until his retirement in 2022. In that role he led garda efforts against the Kinahan cartel and other organised crime groups in Ireland, leading the international operation which saw the Dubai-based gang sanctioned by the United States – and with $5 million bounties on each of the three family members leading the mob.
John was a true friend of AML Intelligence and spoke at ‘European Anti-Financial Crime Summit 2023’ in Dublin, where he outlined the money laundering operations employed by the Kinahans. He also spoke at our Closed Session Roundtables where he explained to banking and fintech leaders the myriad methods used by organized criminals to infiltrate the international financial system. "John was one of a kind. The son of a senior police officer, he was a cop’s cop with integrity to the core. I knew John from his days as street drugs officer in Dublin’s north inner city where he made an enormous impact against the gangs," said AML Intelligence publisher, Stephen Rae today (Saturday). "He saw the impact drugs have on communities and made it his mission to strike at the very heart of organized crime. Only someone as exceptional as John could lead the international alliance which put the Kinahan cartel, one of the world’s most organized criminal groups, on the run. John will be sadly missed.
"He has left a huge legacy – not least the mission-driven officers he led through his career and who carry on the good fight," Stephen said. Friends described how John always exhibited leadership qualities. "Even when a Sergeant in Dublin’s North Central Division drugs unit based out of Store Street station John was going after the big fish traffickers. The unit operated like a national unit with spectacular results," said a colleague. "It culminated at local level when one of Ireland’s top criminals, ‘King Rat’ Tony Felloni was prosecuted by the unit and subsequently jailed which was huge news in Ireland at the time," the colleague added.
A Life Dedicated to Justice: Remembering John O'Driscoll
In his tribute on Friday, the Taoiseach offered his condolences to Mr O’Driscoll’s wife Muriel and three children Michelle, Laura and Seán. “John was a distinguished member of An Garda Síochána who served the force with such integrity,” he said. “He was a very respected and admired member of the garda family and a true leader. I know the entire garda family will be mourning his loss today. “I wish to extend my sympathies to John’s family and all his former colleagues.”
Police Commissioner Harris said Mr O’Driscoll was “an outstanding member of An Garda Síochána” (Ireland’s National Police Force). “Throughout his 41 years of stellar service, John worked tirelessly to protect the most vulnerable in society and was a great advocate for the power of sport, particularly boxing, in helping and supporting children from deprived areas. “In recent years, he was to the forefront in garda successes against organised crime. This work helped save lives and protect communities from the scourge of drugs. “At this very difficult time, my thoughts and the thoughts of the entire garda organisation are with John’s wife Muriel and his children, Michelle, Laura and Seán. May he rest in peace.”
Ms McEntee said she was “shocked and saddened” to hear of Mr O’Driscoll’s death. “John retired from An Garda Síochána in June 2022 after 41 years, the last six of which he spent as the Assistant Commissioner with responsibility for Special Crime Operations,” she said. “He served the State with integrity and distinction over the course of his 41-year career in policing. “He was a man who manifested integrity and decency, completely dedicated to public service and to serving the State to the very best of his considerable ability. “Throughout his career he mentored scores of gardaí, built strong teams, and played a leading role in devising and implementing An Garda Siochana’s partnership with international law enforcement in tackling the scourge of organised crime groups.”
Mr O’Driscoll was due to publish his memoir, On Duty: Reflections on a Life in the Guards, at the end of October. The book, a testament to his life's work and dedication, serves as a lasting tribute to his unwavering commitment to justice.
